Samantha on a Roll by Linda Ashman with pictures by Christine Davenier

Samantha has a brand new pair of roller skates. She's super excited to try them out, but her mom has said "Not now." But Samantha doesn't want to wait - she wants to go, go, go! What harm could there be in just trying them on? Before long she's speeding through town and causing all kinds of havoc. Who knew that roller skates could go so fast?

This book is utterly charming. The rhyming story has a lovely lilt and keeps the momentum of the story building and building. Rhyming text sometimes feels forced to my ear, but this read in a very natural way. The illustrations were fresh and colourful and had just the right amount of whimsy. I like Samantha, a girl who's so filled with excitement and determination that she dives headfirst (or skates first) into an adventure. As a reader I had a pretty good idea that everything was going to turn out okay, but I had no idea how that was going to happen. I was a little late in finding this book (it came out in 2011), but better late than never; definitely check this one out and share it with some children who would like a vicarious adventure.

Check out Linda Ashman's website to see more of her work.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng
No Dogs Allowed! by Linda Ashman
Miss Lina's Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee